The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-29

He Bets Twice . Sure Thing and Loses
-Four Hundred Dollars.

He Bets Twice . Sure Thing and Loses
Four Hundred Dollars.
Chicago Letter in New York Sun.
A seedy-looking gambler. with half weeks
growth of black stubble on his cheeks and chin,
eat in barbershop on La Sale street awaiting
his turn. when acquaintance sauted him with
the remark: "Guess they haven't been coming
very soft for you, ehf'
'Well, no, not very" was the lazy reply; 'but
/ made . winning the cars coming from Gin
cinnati I'd been having hard luck against the
bank, and after buying my ticket [ had one
pretty good silver dollar left, and two others
not quite good Ever see one of thsse9" and
he produced a metal dollar the surface of
which had been treated with an application of
tin foil. that it looked like the scalest coun-
terfeit.
''Thaes what took the trick with" the gam
bier remarked. I'M tell how it was done: The
train was about half way between Cincinnati
and indianapolis when scraped acquaintance
with fly young Hoosier, one of those smart
fellows that know it all when at home, and think
nobody can get the best Of them. / told my
new friend that had been to Cincinnati TO bury
my brother and that was on my way back to,
Indianapolis to work at my trade told him l
was an iron-molder, and l looked it. After
awhile something was said about cards, and he
proposed game Of seven up for dollar game.
I allowed that didn't know enough about cards
to play for money, but | guessed I'd go him once
for so cents. OF course l lost the first game.
and then said I must have revenge aHd I'd
the second game. He wanted to give me salts
faction, but wouldn't play any more with an
expert. That seemed to tickle him very much,
and he said he supposed he rather smarter
than the average, and, while he wouldn't take
any advantage of green hand like me, he was
| we'll posted all gamblers tricks.
| 'Ill show you some of EN- says
| he. / says, Wait till settle up and then
| handed him this here dollar.
".Oh.' says he you don't expect to work that
| on me. do your
| "'Work whatf says.
"'Why, that's counterfeit
| II declared it wasn't, and he then got little
| hot, and offered to bet me two to one it was a
| bogus coin. ! hesitated, and he made it ten to
| one l said / hadn't much money, but Id bet
him $40 against 5000 the dollar was good one
| pulled out my pocket-book. which had nothing
| in it but pawn tickets, and made bluff to open
| it, had seen the conductor come into the Cal
just then, and | proposed having him decide
This was agreed to, and he held his roll in hi.
hand and l held my pocket-book ready to oper
| it, while we told the conductor the bet and asked
him to decide The conductor first thought tn,
dollar was counterfeit. but something in tn,
weight and ring OF it made him hesitate, SO h
pulled out his jack knife and scraped off LITTLE
of the tin-foil, and then handed the coin back
Its as good silver dollar as ever was minted
was his decision, and then he passed or Tn
young fellow forked over the $780, and l(1ded a
if he'd faint away.
you see," continued the gambler, as he go
up to take vacant arber-chair, it had beel
Then sympathized with the young man. an'
told him a way TO get even. handed him dol
lar that looked just like the other one. and ad
vised him to play it Joe Morris, friend O
mine, who had been looking on at distance
but pretending not to see anything So. to Civ
the young man chance, l moved my grip int
the forward car, and he tackled Morris by ask
ing him to change dollar. Joe was ready t